Improvement in bracelet-fastenings



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Improvement in Bra'celet-Fastenings. No, 128,983, PatentedlulylfiflBJZQ'ivrrnn STATES PATENT OFFIdEv GEORGE E. SOULE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEWJERSEY.

IMPRGVEMENT IN BRACELET-FASTENINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 128,983, dated July 16,1872.

SPECIFICATION. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. SOULE, of

Jersey City, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lock-Clasps for Bracelets and other articles of Jewelry;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full description of thesame.

The object of my improvement is to lock the claspspring by a positivemotion of the latch; and the nature of my invention consists incombining with the clasp-spring a latch-lever having a cam on its shortend for the purpose of acting upon a stationary stud secured into theinner rim of the bracelet, and just in front of the end of the spring,to elevate or lift its edge up against the end of the bracelet, andthus, by a positive motion of the latch, lock the clasp; but to describemy invention more particularly I'will refer to the accompanying drawingforming a part of this specification, the same letters of reference,wherever they occur, referring to like parts.

Figure 1 is an edge side view of the bracelet. Fig. 2 is a cut sectionof the same through the line :17 a, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan view of thesame. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the bracelet, showing the latchthrown back to unlock the clasp.

Letters A and B represent the hoop of metal forming the bracelet made intwo halves, and joined together by a hinge, O, in the usual manner.These hoops are made hollow, but may be made of solid metal, or othermaterial, and have the clasp secured to their looking ends. To the upperend of the part of the hoop B is solidly attached a tongue of metal, D,to which a spring, E, is secured. In ordinary practice this spring isformed out of a section of the tongue D, but may be made by folding downthe tongue of metal or by soldering or riveting it thereon. The objectof this spring is to lock the two parts A and B together by inserting itinto the end of A. When the spring is inserted into the end of A it isin a depressed position, and the latch-lever F is thrown back, as shownin Fig. 4. In this position the cam G on its short end is turned up, andthus allows the spring to flatten down upon or toward the level of thetongue to which it is attached. In this position it is readily insertedinto the slit in the end of stud, K, secured upon the upper side of theinner rim of the bracelet, just in front of the edge of the spring, andlifts it up behind the metal strip L, forming the end of the part A ofthe bracelet, to lock the two parts to gether. The object of this is tolock the clasp by a positive motion, and thus avoid all tendency of lossof elasticity in the spring to react automatically to fill the recess inthe end of the bracelet. When the latch-lever is shut down it is guardedfrom any acci dental opening by the cheek-pieces I, leaving only its endsufficiently exposed for the application of the thumb or finger nail toliftit. It will be obvious that by this operation of locking the claspit cannot get unlocked except the latch-lever is thrown back to releasethe cam from off the stud. When this is done the spring contracts orreacts upon the tongue to which it is attached, and then the partsA andB may be separated. In this position' the parts will not lock together;consequently the wearer, on discovering that it will not lock whenapplied to the wrist, will be compelled to shut the latchlever downbefore the bracelet can be worn, and thus, by the positive andindispensable prerequisite of manual exertion and thought, obtain asecurity against loss, which is not possible where the clasp isself-locking, and the entire sense of protection is in the assumedelasticity of the spring to react to fill the recess in the end of thebracelet.

Having now described my invention, I will proceed to set forth what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

I claim.

The combination of the latch-lever F, having a cam, G, on its short end,with the spring E, guards or cheek-pieces I, and stud K, all constructedand arranged substantially as de- Witnesses R. RowLEY, CHARLES L.BARRrrr.

